Antarctica’s polar vortex could be about to split in two for the first time in more than 20 years after a series of sudden spikes in stratospheric temperatures. If that happens, it could lead to significant warming in Antarctica and an unusually hot summer in Australia and South America.
The southern polar vortex is a clockwise swirl of winds that trap a cold air current above Antarctica during the southern hemisphere winter. The vortex is usually very stable at this time of year, with temperatures inside its core in…
